Fiji: China Stepped In When US and UK Withdrew

Fiji High Commissioner: China Stepped In When United
States and United Kingdom Withdrew

In a speech given on Tuesday to the
Pacific Islands Society at the School of
Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), the Fiji High
Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mr. Solo Mara, argued that the Pacific
Islands region has a 'voice that is beginning to be
recognized on the global stage' as it emerges as a possible
"geo-strategic political pitch for the super-powers,
particularly China and the United States."

On this
political pitch, the High Commissioner maintained that "the
(United States) and China to Pacific Islanders represent two
sides of the same coin." Yet, his prepared remarks expressed far more
criticism of western engagement in the region than that of
China.

While the High Commissioner "welcomed" the "renewed
interest" by the United States and cited former U.S.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's attendance at the Pacific Islands Forum
Leaders Meeting in 2012 as "remarkable" development and a
"clear confirmation of Washington's realization that it must
be more involved in the Pacific Islands," he also pointed
out "that Mrs. Clinton was beaten to the islands by a
multitude of senior Chinese Government officials" and
suggested that the main motivation for America's "renewed
interest" may have been to prevent "losing its influence
entirely" in the region. He then went on to condemn past
actions by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice;
implying that those actions failed to demonstrate a genuine
interest in a "partnership based on mutual respect."

On
the other hand, the High Commissioner said China was a
"sincere development partner" that has demonstrated a
sustained commitment in the region and "stepped in when other western
development partners, such as the (United States) and the
(United Kingdom), withdrew." From this perspective, he
called "improved and closer relations with
China ... an inevitable progression" and said that China
had been more effective than Australia at filling "the vacuum" left when other western
development partners pulled out.

In offering praise, the
High Commissioner made no explicit mention of the
significant development aid and disaster response contributions
provided by Australia, the United States, and New Zealand to the region. However, he
did "applaud the (European Union) for having provided
eight million euros for a five-year (climate change)
research and adaptation project" and singled out the "Chinese Exim Bank loans (for) providing
much needed infrastructure development for economic
development in the islands."

While his speech provided a
notably more favorable assessment of Chinese engagement in
the region, the High Commissioner nevertheless maintained
that the Pacific Island Counties would "do well to engage productively with both
superpowers." He also expressed his belief that the region
remains "geographically ... big enough to accommodate all of
our development partners." However, he cautioned that
development partners "must engage from a position of respect
and understanding with Pacific Island Countries" that
acknowledges the region's need to "prioritize human
security, as limited funds mean that the most pressing
issues must be addressed."

On this point, the High
Commissioner called attention to the significant "difference
in the perception of security threats" that exists between
Pacific Island Countries and those outside the region. This
followed his enumeration of the major human security threats
facing the Pacific Islands region, including climate change, illegal fishing, HIV/AIDS, and non-communicable diseases
as well as the "general perception, amongst Pacific Island
peoples, that their immediate development needs are not
being addressed."

After conceding that "the Pacific
Islands region must accept that the interests of its donors
and superpowers will at times dictate what security
activities they prioritize and fund," the High Commissioner
urged western countries to recognize the gulf that he
implied existed between their security priorities and those
of the Pacific Island Countries. By doing so, he said that
they would better "understand why the Pacific Islands have
sought closer ties with Asia in their pursuit of 'security'
in the Pacific Islands sense."

The High Commissioner
closed his remarks by declaring climate change "the greatest
threat to human security in the Pacific." He then went on to
issue a challenge to both the United States and China. As
they continue to "jostle for position" in the region, he
called on both countries to "acknowledge their own role in and responsibility for
Climate Change" and "help Pacific Islanders, who are most
affected and who are

In a speech given on Monday
to the Pacific Islands Society at the School of Oriental and
African Studies (SOAS), the Acting New Zealand High
Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Mr. Rob Taylor, argued
that shared values, not just shared interests, are driving
the renewed strategic partnership between the United States
and New Zealand.

According to Mr. Taylor, the 2010
Wellington Declaration provided a “key turning point in
United States – New Zealand relations” that has enabled
the two countries “to move beyond policy differences that
emerged n the mid-1980s” and instead “focus on the
future with emphasis on areas of cooperation.”

More than two years later, Mr. Taylor believes that the
NZ-US strategic partnership has moved into high gear with
both Wellington and Washington confident that this period of
renewed cooperation “will endure.”

Looking
ahead, Mr. Taylor says that “on-going and future
cooperation between the two nations” will place
“particular emphasis on the South Pacific.” This
includes investing further in joint initiatives in the
region, such as renewable energy, disaster response, climate
change adaptation, and enhanced dialogue on regional
security.”

Mr. Taylor also stressed that the
United States and New Zealand are working “to enhance
Pacific capability to catch and process more of their own
fisheries resources,” with New Zealand now working the
United States, Australia, and France to “to provide
maritime surveillance of Pacific Island States, in
particular their Exclusive Economic Zones. “

Eddie Walsh is an accredited foreign correspondent.
He currently serves as a fellow at the Federation of
American Scientists and president of the Pacific Islands
Society. Follow him on either Twitter or
Tumblr.

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